After a break of a couple of years I thought it would be good to have another go with Basic Impetus and my early Reconquista Spanish. The BI rules have a decent "El Cid" list, and the Andalusian list is okay too, so it makes for a decent game. We've done it twice before, with a win to either side, so there's clearly some sort of balance.
After Saturday's full house, it was less packed, with Steve & Richard being El Cid, and Phil and me as the Emir. There's a road down the middle of the table to cover where the paint has come off the playing surface.
Steve and Richard look a bit bemused. Neither has played the system before. Or at least not recently. I've re-read the rules, but there are bits of the system that just don't fit in my head.
I had our right wing. Richard got in first and hit my light horse with some javelins.
I pulled up my slingers, and hit him back. I also took the time to remove my Disorder.
On the left of my flank (so sort of near the centre), Richard was cunningly shielding his Hidalgos with some disposable skirmishers.
Further out on Phil's flank, Steve is already taking off a unit that has lost out to our light javelins.
Then it's all kicked off, as Steve charges with his Hidalgos and Caballeros Villanos. What could possibly go wrong?
Richard charges my light javelins. Oo-er. This might not go well.
It didn't go well. I appear to be running away.
And this is where those light horse were fighting. MAD.
Steve goes in with his long spear foot. The slingers fail to evade. The army break points are starting to ratchet up.
And those Caballeros break one of Phil's medium cavalry units.
The collapse of my right wing flank guards has opened up our centre a little bit. The break point scores are looking fairly close, but we need an initiative win to break some units before the Cid falls upon the flanks of our infantry.
Phil's other medium cavalry unit crashes through and catches the Caballeros, breaking them.
Some devastating archery breaks the blue spear men. Could we pull it out of the bag? Both sides are one point from breaking. It all hinges on our next archery shot.
I described this as the most important shot in the history of the Iberian Peninsula. One hit on those skirmish bows, and they'll need to roll a 1 to stand, then it's a win to us. All I need is one 6 or a pair of fives on two dice
So of course, I roll snake eyes.
Then the Cid charges home. His unit is weak, but too strong for my archers.
So we take another hit, and reach our break point score of 11. The Cid's forces have clung on by one point, as they break on 10.
A gripping game which swung backwards and forwards, before finally tipping against us. I think that I agree with Phil that BI works really well for medieval armies with knights. I was less than impressed when we did Paratikene, and I put a lot of effort into that.
Next week, another go with BI, but in the 15th century.
After Saturday's full house, it was less packed, with Steve & Richard being El Cid, and Phil and me as the Emir. There's a road down the middle of the table to cover where the paint has come off the playing surface.
Steve and Richard look a bit bemused. Neither has played the system before. Or at least not recently. I've re-read the rules, but there are bits of the system that just don't fit in my head.
I had our right wing. Richard got in first and hit my light horse with some javelins.
I pulled up my slingers, and hit him back. I also took the time to remove my Disorder.
On the left of my flank (so sort of near the centre), Richard was cunningly shielding his Hidalgos with some disposable skirmishers.
Further out on Phil's flank, Steve is already taking off a unit that has lost out to our light javelins.
Then it's all kicked off, as Steve charges with his Hidalgos and Caballeros Villanos. What could possibly go wrong?
Richard charges my light javelins. Oo-er. This might not go well.
It didn't go well. I appear to be running away.
And this is where those light horse were fighting. MAD.
Steve goes in with his long spear foot. The slingers fail to evade. The army break points are starting to ratchet up.
And those Caballeros break one of Phil's medium cavalry units.
The collapse of my right wing flank guards has opened up our centre a little bit. The break point scores are looking fairly close, but we need an initiative win to break some units before the Cid falls upon the flanks of our infantry.
Phil's other medium cavalry unit crashes through and catches the Caballeros, breaking them.
Some devastating archery breaks the blue spear men. Could we pull it out of the bag? Both sides are one point from breaking. It all hinges on our next archery shot.
I described this as the most important shot in the history of the Iberian Peninsula. One hit on those skirmish bows, and they'll need to roll a 1 to stand, then it's a win to us. All I need is one 6 or a pair of fives on two dice
So of course, I roll snake eyes.
Then the Cid charges home. His unit is weak, but too strong for my archers.
So we take another hit, and reach our break point score of 11. The Cid's forces have clung on by one point, as they break on 10.
A gripping game which swung backwards and forwards, before finally tipping against us. I think that I agree with Phil that BI works really well for medieval armies with knights. I was less than impressed when we did Paratikene, and I put a lot of effort into that.
Next week, another go with BI, but in the 15th century.
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